THEATER

Oct 26
Sarah Brightman
Debuting on Broadway is a major moment for any performer. Debuting on Broadway as the lead soprano in what would become the best-selling cast soundtrack of all time (the original Broadway cast of The Phantom of the Opera), well, that’s a completely different level. Sarah Brightman parlayed her breathtaking musical theater prowess into a smash classical crossover career with over 30 million albums sold worldwide. Paramount Theatre, $51–$251.

Thru Nov 24
Red Light Winter and 25 Saints
Gutsy upstart theater company Azeotrope made waves last year with its award-winning Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train. The company returns to the ACT stage with the double bill. Red Light Winter follows a friendship that unravels when a trip to the Netherlands sparks a love triangle with a prostitute. 25 Saints revolves around two Appalachian meth dealers hunted by crooked cops. ACT Theatre, $30.

Oct 25
Bernadette Peters with Seattle Symphony Orchestra
Bernadette Peters’s petite frame belies the grandiosity of her pipes. The Tony-winning star joins Seattle Symphony for a night of musical theater standards by Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and other crowd favorites. Benaroya Hall, $52–$98.

BOOKS & TALKS

Oct 24
Lit Crawl 2013
Seattle's literary pub crawl returns for a second years of drinks and prose on Capitol Hill. With themed reading events ranging from "Wage Slaves: Tales from the Grind" to "Crazy Sexy Zombies"and top Seattle authors like Ivan Doig, Ellen Forney, and Ryan Boudinot, wildly mixed tastes won't only be limited to the cocktails. Visit website for venues, free.

FILM

Oct 24–30
French Cinema Now 2013
SIFF's celebration of French cinema returns for a second year. French Cinema Now opens with the Palme d'Or winner from this year's Cannes Film Festival, Blue is the Warmest Color, the intense and raw adaptation of Julie Maroh's graphic novel about a young girl coming-of-age. The 20 film mini-festival displays a variety of French language drama, documentaries, animation, and more. SIFF Cinema Uptown, $11; festival pass $100.

SPECIAL EVENT

Oct 25
SAM Remix
To celebrate its the new Peru: Kingdoms of the Sun and the Moon exhibit, SAM hosts a Peruvian Halloween edition of SAM Remix filled with dancing, art making, and more. To get in the spirit, the first 50 patrons in attire related to the sun, moon, and stars get in for free. But keep in mind masks or face paint will not be allowed in the galleries, so don't go too overboard. Seattle Art Museum, $25.

HALLOWEEN EVENTS

Thru Oct 26
Poe Unexpected and Campfire
Unexpected Productions hosts two shows of ghoulish humor. Join Poe Unexpected on a midnight dreary for macabre improv based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. If sitting around and telling creepy ghost stories is more your thing, try Campfire, where a group of campers (read: improvisers) turn audience stories into spooky and hilarious yarns. Unexpected Production's Market Theater, $10.

Thru Oct 27
The Haunted Theatre: Backstage Tour and Eerie Dances
Tacoma City Ballet School hosts haunted backstage tours into the dark corners of its theater, then performs a family-friendly parade of spooky Halloween ballets that's full of bats, marionettes, ghosts, witches, and more. Jan Collum Ballroom Theater at Merlino Art Center, Tacoma, $5.

Thru Oct 27
Wild Waves' Fright Fest
Roller coasters, food, music, or scares—Fright Fest has a thrill for everyone. Catch the Wave Pool dance party, stop by the 3D haunted house, or tour the gory Chamber of Souls. For little ones, Booville provides a scare-free night of fall crafts, a maze, and a trick-or-treating station. Wild Waves, Federal Way, $25.

Oct 25 & 26
FreakNight
Seattle’s two-night wicked circus, FreakNight, features hair-raising electronic dance music, carnival rides, and more. Considering costumes are common at EDM show, the outfits on display are sure to be as over the top as the event itself. WaMu Theater, $31–$45.

Oct 26
Dog-o-Ween
Halloween festivities aren’t complete until you’ve seen a Wiener dog dressed up as Sherlock Holmes or a Chihuahua moonlighting as Superman. Watch all the furry little ghouls run about in a dog costume contest at Genessee Dog Park to support Seattle’s off-leash dog parks. Genessee Park, free.